Government: X-Factor

During the Progressive Era, the United States were in a state of change. The United States became recognized as a global powered. The country stilled faced multiply of problems. The country used a lot of capital during the Spanish American War, this had a negative affect on the country. The United States wasn’t just having problems as a whole country, in small places they had corrupt systems of government. This all changed during the Progressive Era. The government played a huge role in reforming the American social, economic, and political life during the early twentieth century through establishing a minimum wage, separating municipals, and the elimination of the "machine" in many cities throughout the country.

The government played a huge role in reforming the American social life through establishing a minimum wage. This was a very important to the development of the social life of the American people. Also establishing maximum hours was a big accomplishment. The employers even had children working in factories trying to support their families, this was banned. A lot of the country was struggling, their income were insufficient to support them. It was a repeat of the late nineteenth century when their were only the prosperous class and the poor class. The middle class was diminishing.

The government role during the twentieth century was great in reforming the American economic life by separating municipals. This process of separating the municipals, helped spread the wealth of the country. Especially since only one percent of the country popularities controlled the half of the country’s capital. The separating of this power will overall benefit the country by making the country more prosperous as an whole. The government seperated the railroad companies, to create more competition, also approved the Underwood Tariff. The Clayton Anti-trust Act was establish to break up monopolies, this will spread the wealth throughout the country. The Federal Reserve Act also help the government regulate the currency throughout the country.

The government played a big role in reforming the American political life through eliminating the machines from the politic. The government eliminated the New York machine which was called the Tweed Ring. This machine was brought to the public attention by Thomas Nast in a series of cartoon drawings. The National Mulicipal League was a direct response to the “Machines”. The machines wasn’t just locally they even had a President, who was a member of the Kansas City Machine.

In conclusion, the government played a big role in reforming the American life. They helped changed socially through the establishment of the Owen Child Labor Act. The government helped reform economically through the Federal Reserve Act. It also help politically with the elimiantion of political machines. This is why the government played a huge role in the reforming the American social, economic, and political life.